Death Through My Eyes
by Jade-55
Summary: One shot takes place during GRev: When Tala is met with Garland facetoface in a beyblade match, he soon begins to realize that he’s up against something he has never faced before. This battle is more than a game, it’s a matter of life...and de


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Death Through My Eyes

By Kara

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Disclaimer: I take no claim over any of the characters in this fic, they are the copyright of Beyblade. I am only the creator of the character Jade Tomei, and therefore she is the only one which I have claims over.

The small amounts of song lyrics (indicated by italics) are from the song 'Into the West' by Annie Lennox, and full credit is given to her.

Background Information: Since this story takes place during the 3rd season of Beyblade – G-Revolution – I feel I should explain a few things in order to keep everything clear. The battle between Garland and Tala really does take place in G-Rev, but all other information about how the battle takes place etc. are my own ideas. So if I have things completely off from this episode, do not come stating to me how inaccurate this story is, it is merely for my own personal enjoyment. Everything herein is basically what Tala and Jade's relationship would be like in G-Revolution. 

Note: This is a one-shot between an existing Beyblade character and my own original character. So if you are not a fan of stories revolving around an OC, then do NOT read this fic. 

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Lay down

Your sweet and weary head

Night is falling

You have come to journey's end

Jade couldn't take it anymore, she just couldn't take it. This wasn't a beyblade battle; this was mere anarchy...complete destruction. This guy, Garland, he had no emotion, no compassion for his opponent. He fought with a ruthless force, as if the devil himself was directing him with a fiery whip. Dark blue eyes narrowed with ferocity, blanking out now and again as strands from his long silvery ponytail swayed across his face. How could he hold such a strong composure, how could he look so utterly calm? And that smirk, it glistened upon his lips – every bead of saliva dripping with anticipation for the win. He was like a predator, closing in on his prey, eager to dig his fangs deeply into their soul. And Tala...Tala was the prey. His blood red bangs dangled helplessly over his face, shadowing out his horror-stricken eyes. He could feel the pain coursing through his veins, his head lashing back as another blow hit its target. 

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'Stop!' Jade's mind screamed, though the words refused to form upon her lips. Her throat was completely parched and she had found herself struggling to draw air. It was as if she could feel Tala's pain just by watching him, almost as though their hearts were beating as one. The feeling was strange, and Jade's limbs shook with terror and confusion. How did their fate come to this? Was this all that God had had in store for them? 

Jade's breathing slowly grew heavier and heavier, the visions around her swirling into one giant tangled vortex. Her life shouldn't have come to this, she knew that she shouldn't be feeling the way that she did. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that these inner emotions would long for Tala – the same guy who under normal circumstances she would've merely known as the former captain of the Demolition Boys. Why she had grown so close to Tala she couldn't say and she was sure the red-haired guy was at a mystery as well. 

She could remember how they had first conversed in conversation. How they both spoke in harsh tongue towards the other as if they were enemies since childhood.

*Flashback*

"You came here to see Kai...am I right?" Tala's voice cut through the silence, his intriguing turquoise eyes locking with crystal blue. He couldn't imagine why this girl stood motionless in front of their player room, unless of course she was searching for someone. And searching she was, for he could see the timidness that her body language portrayed. She looked fearful of him, as though he had committed some horrific crime that caused her to keep her distance. "Well, were not getting anywhere by standing around here are we?"

Quirking an eyebrow he was only answered by silence, something which he was growing utterly impatient with. Did this girl even know how to speak? Perhaps she had had some unfortunate incident in which her vocal cords were tugged from within her body, or perhaps not. In all honesty, he merely found her to be stubborn...quite rude actually. If she believed that he would turn his back and forget about this whole confrontation, she had another thing coming. He knew she was here for Kai. 

"Perhaps I should call the officials." Tala stated in a dry tone, narrowing his eyes with a slow smirk. "I'm sure it's against the rules for over obsessed fangirls to stalk participating teams in the Egyptian Tournament." He knew he had hit the right nerve that time, noticing that her smooth pinked lips were beginning to move in speech.

"I assure you, if I were a crazed fangirl, I definitely wouldn't be hanging around the Demolition Boys' room. There are much better fish in the sea, sorry." Her crystal eyes grew dark and if Tala wasn't mistaken, she was actually standing her ground. Well, at least now he knew that she could indeed speak.

"Well, no need for hot remarks." Tala tsked, blowing away a loose red bang from the surface of his nose. "I only wanted to hear the voice behind the face." He still kept that amused smile upon his lips, shrugging his shoulders before taking a light step forward. "Now tell me _Red_, what do most people call you?" Leaning over he allowed their faces to meet but a few inches apart, his subtle breathing sweeping over her – causing her light auburn bangs to flutter helplessly before her eyes.

"If you're asking for my name, then its Jade." She stated matter-of-factly, not even bothering to step away from Tala's unbearably close position. If she backed off it would give off signs of fear, and she wasn't scared of him, not at all.

"Ahhh yes, things suddenly become much more clear." Tala nodded, lifting up a hand – quickly snapping his fingers around her chin. "Jade Tomei...if I'm not mistaken." He muttered, more to himself as a sense of confirmation than to anyone else. Twisting Jade's face around he seemed to study all her features, as if he was a mother searching for dirt upon a child's face. "You're the new teammate of the infamous Saint Shields, the Chinese team that seems to be...well, _trailing_ in the victory category."

A low growl reverberated within Jade's throat, her fingers clenching into small fists – her rough nails digging into her own sensitive flesh. "You should watch those words if I were you Tala!" Jade declared, earning herself a curious gaze from the guy – who seemed like he was surprised at her addressing him by his first name. "Or was Daichi's win over you merely a stroke of luck on his part?" She knew she was stepping on dangerous ground with her bitter words, but she swore that she wouldn't allow him to speak such disgraceful words about her own team. 

Jade had decided to team up with the Saint Shields as soon as she had heard about the new tournament rules. Of course they had accepted her with open arms, after having her train within their village for the past month or so. Sure they hadn't had a great run of victorious beybattles in the tournament so far, but they were far from out of it! "The Demolition Boy's seem to be sitting precariously on the border line of disqualification, or is that another false rumor on my part?"

Tala's eyes narrowed drastically, his fingers unintentionally growing tighter upon Jade's chin. "You speak harsh words for such a petty little girl." He growled, the words snapping off his lips with great force. He didn't appreciate her comments, not at all. Yet Jade found it only fair, they were even now...they had both stepped upon each other's territory.

"It appears I struck a nerve." Jade replied coolly, though cringing a little at the pain that began to accompany Tala's hold. He seemed to have a short temper – from what she saw anyway – and his eyes seemed to grow darker and darker with every second that ticked by. This was the Tala she knew, or at least the Tala that she had heard about from previous stories about Biovolt. 

How could Kai dare to go back to such a team? The thought of it sparked anger in her very soul. Of course, hatred towards him for such a thing wasn't fair on her behalf. She knew that in reality Kai's only outlook was to reunite with the Russian Demo Boys if he wanted to blade in the tournament. Just like Max had to return to the All Starz, and Rei to the White Tigers.

"You were at fault the moment you stepped foot in this compound." Tala issued, refusing to allow silence to take over the two. Pulling Jade's face even closer to his he blew a breath across her, earning himself a full-fledged glare. "I want you in the dish." 

Jade blinked, "What do you mean?"

"I'm challenging you." Tala described, pulling out a sharp-edged blade – holding it up in order for Jade's eyes to take it all in. "I know that you were a former member of the Bladebreakers, and so I know that you came here to speak with Kai." 

"Well, don't you just know everything." Jade replied sarcastically, taking a step back. The red-haired guy was right, she had come here to speak with Kai; but she no longer had the urge to do so. Now all she wanted was to leave. She had no intentions to spark an argument with the Russian leader, and she definitely had no intentions of engaging in a beybattle with him.

"More than you could possibly imagine." Tala smirked, taking in all of Jade's sarcasm with good humor. "And I also know that you _will_ battle me, if you hope to speak with Kai tonight." He wouldn't let her get out of it, no matter what kind of excuse she would bring up. She had so absently made her presence known and he wasn't going to let her go without a good beating. 

"I no longer wish to speak with Kai, and I promise you this...I will never set foot within any of your teams presence. Not until we meet in the tournament." Jade nodded, her voice determined. 

"Is that so..." Tala began, tilting his head to the side. "And what exactly will you tell your team when they find out that you gave up your one chance to rid of me from this tournament hm? Surely they want at least _one_ victory. Or are the Saint Shields full of the noble _'as long as you try your best' _shit?" 

"Stop it!" Jade exclaimed, her head moving furiously from left to right. "I will **not** let you speak that way about the Saint Shields." She knew what she was about to do was wrong, and she would be scolded by Ozuma in the end, but she couldn't push this anger aside – not any more. Reaching a hand down into the small brown pouch strapped upon her left leg, she pulled out her own indigo blade. The twin sickles that protruded from the glossy purple surface glistened with anticipation, waiting to slam head on in a beybattle. "I accept your challenge."

*End Flashback*

Jade's eyes drifted close at the past battle, remembering it hit by hit. No matter how hard she tried she wouldn't forget it, it would plague her mind for centuries to come. Yet now that she thought about it, the whole incident should've never have happened. Under normal circumstances she wouldn't have even met Tala. Her conversation with Kai would've taken place, and the red-haired guy would've been nothing more than a faceless name in her mind. 

But that didn't happen... 

*Flashback*

Jade collapsed to her knees, her hands trembling with the realization of what had just happened. She could only wish that it was a dream, but she knew deep down that it wasn't...this was real. A light whirring sound weaved into one ear and out the other, causing her heart to cease for a mere moment. Shifting her crystal eyes to the right she could no longer keep them from glazing over...she had lost. Her once strong, powerful blade was no longer spinning, and it seized defeat in one swift motion. 

"I-I...lost." 

No matter how many times she told herself that it just wouldn't sink in, it merely tore away at her insides with every waking minute. Why had she agreed to Tala's challenge? She knew it was stupid to allow the red head to get on her nerves, and now she paid dearly for it. It wasn't the idea of losing that bothered Jade so much; it was more or less the reality that she hadn't been able to defend her teams honor. After everything that she had previously said, and now it had all backfired on her.

Clutching her blade back within her palm she pressed it against her forehead, silently apologizing to it for not being stronger. Tala had beaten her fair and square, and he had far more power than she had given him credit for. It was her own fault for taking him so lightly.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anybody if you don't." His voice took over the disturbing silence once again as he fell to one knee before her – tucking his blade back into the depths of his pocket. "It's a shame though, not being able to bring a victory back to your team. You must feel worthless?"

Jade's fingers moved slowly over the cold concrete, as though they were trying to grab it and squeeze away its life. It's something that she wanted to do to Tala. Yet she couldn't get over the fact that maybe the guy was right... Refusing to let any tears fall she flicked her eyes upward, meeting up with those amused turquoise orbs. He seemed to be staring directly at her, his eyes cascading over her shattered face.

"Don't fight it." Tala breathed, sweeping his thumb across the bottom of Jade's left eye. "Girls look much more prettier when they cry. I believe its cause it makes them look so vulnerable." He grinned smugly, leaning his body into hers – forcing their lips to meet in one swift moment.

*End Flashback*

Moving her hand up Jade lightly touched her trembling lips, practically feeling that kiss all over again. She never did know why Tala had decided to embrace her like that so suddenly, for she had left soon after – forcing herself away from him. Outwardly she swore that she would never allow herself to see Tala again, not until their teams met in battle. But inwardly...that was a whole different story. He wouldn't leave her, and simply enough, he had left a permanent mark in Jade's head. 

So is that what brought Jade to where she was now? No. She felt strong dislike towards Garland not because of what he was doing to Tala, but because of the unnecessary ruthless techniques that he chose to use. She swore that was the reason. But then when Tala's head snapped with tremendous force from the previous blow, she wasn't so sure anymore.

"Tala!" Jade suddenly called, forgetting about everything as she removed herself from her seat. She didn't care if this was an official tournament match; nobody deserved to be brutalized like this. Moving towards him her mind seemed to go blank. She didn't know what she was going to do to stop this, but she needed to do something. With the way this battle was going, Tala would be leaving the place in a coffin. 

Just as the thought of doing something processed in her mind, she felt a hand lash out upon her arm, pulling her back with even greater strength. Jade could feel her arm being twisted behind her back, forcing her to remain completely still unless she wanted to end up in a cast.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A voice whispered into her ear, sending a shiver down Jade's spine. The voice wasn't harsh, or cold, and it didn't sound threatening in the least; yet she obeyed it none the less. The tone was quite low – giving off the fact that it was of male descendant - yet above all else, it was completely calm. It almost sent Jade into a relaxed state, if it wasn't for the hard grasp that he held on her however. 

Jade knew that struggling was futile, and it would only welcome the pain in which she didn't want to feel. Taking in a deep breath she brought her eyes off of Tala for the time being, rolling them up in the sockets in order to see the face of her 'captor.' Her mouth gaped at the person whom stood behind her, her mind scrambling with confusion. She easily recognized who it was; the spiked orange hair gave it away in an instance. 

"Brooklyn?" Jade muttered, noticing the light smile that danced playfully upon his lips. She should've known it would've been him, after all, he was in a team alongside of Garland. 

Nodding his head in reply he blinked upward, before bringing his lips closer to Jade's ear. "Quite a fascinating battle, wouldn't you say?" There was a lilt of amusement with every word that he spoke, his eyes sparkling with anticipation. "We wouldn't want to interrupt it now would we."

Jade didn't say anything, she couldn't say anything. For some strange reason no words would come to her lips and she merely stood, eyeing the match with a blank stare. For all it was worth, Brooklyn was right. It really wasn't in her power to interrupt this battle, but she knew that nobody else would do anything. Trembling a little she roamed her eyes around the crowd, hoping that somebody else would feel the same way that she did and try to stop the match. The whole arena seemed to be in their own state of shock, eyes wide with excitement and terror. Yet her sudden outbreak onto the arena floor did spark some movement from a few people in the stadium – 2 to be exact.

Tyson – who was off to the far side of the stadium – was leaning intensely forward, his eyebrows narrowed at the battle that was taking place in front of his eyes. Jade knew what her former dark-haired teammate was thinking, and she knew that he wouldn't just stand around and let Tala take the beating. He wasn't only eyeing the enraging battle, but he was also eyeing her, probably trying to figure out why she had suddenly made herself visible on the battlefield.

Ozuma brought another similar reaction forth, which was all too predictable. The red and black-haired boy had immediately leapt to his feet at Jade's removal from the stand – his hand clutched tightly around his black beyblade. In fact, if it weren't for Dunga holding him back, Ozuma would've probably joined her. His emerald eyes were more or less darkening upon Brooklyn – sizing the boy up – as though he was just daring him to do some physical harm to Jade.

Well, she had to admit, she did feel safe. Even though Brooklyn emitted strength upon her, she knew that if anything serious happened; Tyson and Ozuma would be launching their blades in an instance. But to Jade that didn't matter, for she wasn't worried about herself. Something told her that Brooklyn wouldn't harm her in anyway, he was merely restraining her – toying with her to a certain degree. No, she wasn't worried about herself...she was worried about Tala.

"Let her go."

Just as Jade's mind became flooded with images of the blood haired boy she heard his voice. It almost drove her insane to hear it however. It didn't have that same radiant tone that it had had the previous times before, and now it sounded shattered. It rang out of his throat raspy and hoarse, almost as though somebody had his or her hands wrapped around his neck. Snapping her eyes onto him she now knew why it sounded so, noticing the mark that stood out upon his neck. It wasn't just any mark though, it was a cut, a slash – running diagonally from his left collarbone to the bottom right of his chin. Red droplets seemed to stain the orange material of his high topped color – dying it into a dark maroon. It was almost a miracle that the boy was still standing, and if the slash had run any deeper, he would've probably been escorted straight to the emergency room.

Jade wanted to touch him, just to feel that his heart was still beating, but Brooklyn's slight jerk of her arm reminded her of where she stood. One thing was for sure now though; nearly all the eyes in the stadium were focused upon Brooklyn and herself. 

"Well, is this possible?" Garland's voice suddenly cut through the silence, his heavy muscled arms crossing over in front of his chest while his blue eyes jumped from Tala to Jade. "Don't tell me the Russian warrior actually has a soft spot?" His voice held all signs of sarcasm, while he exchanged an amused glance with Brooklyn. "Oh but wait, that doesn't surprise me. Being no more than a fucking pansy, I should've seen this coming."

Tala's eyes darkened drastically at his pale-haired opponent, his pupils narrowing down to nothing more than mere slits. Strength seemed to seep back into his slouched body, and his fingers snapped together into fists. Grounding his teeth together he could now remember why he despised this guy so much. Growling under his breath he swore that he wouldn't allow this bastard to take him over in a match! Flicking his turquoise orbs onto Jade he grumbled a few obscenities. What the hell did she think she was doing anyway? Couldn't she see that he was having enough problems as it was? 

He couldn't understand what this whole ordeal was about anyway; did he do something to make her so worried about him? He didn't think so.

Sure he had purposely kissed her during their previous encounter. Yet it was only a game that he had decided to play with her, like cat and mouse. He merely brought her whole soul into the darkness, taking away any passion that she had. And then he pushed himself upon her – toying with her mind. He loved to wrap a woman's strings around his tiny little finger, controlling them with a mere flick of his wrist. Surely she hadn't thought that the kiss had meant something? Quirking an eyebrow lightly he pushed aside his current match, turning his body in order to be adjacent with Jade's.

She had feelings for him. It was so blatantly obvious.

He could see it now; her whole body language portrayed it as clear as daylight itself. Her crystal orbs stayed focused upon him, glazing over while her body remained motionless. She appeared more hurt than he himself did and his stomach lurched at the thought. Snapping his eyelids closed Tala sighed heavily, flexing his fingers in and out. This wasn't supposed to happen. If he had known what would've come out of his and Jade's encounter, he would've turned his back in a second. Then it was partially his own fault, he should've let her leave when she wanted too, but he needed to get that pleasure of victory back. He needed to taste it on his tongue again. 

And now what did he end up with? An over emotional woman, that's what! 

Damn her for growing feelings towards him, and damn himself for regurgitating them right back! Though he hated to admit it, Tala knew that Jade was tugging on the reins of his mind. Why else would he have grown defensive when Brooklyn threw his embrace on her? 

"Let her go." Tala repeated, the words vibrating in his throat. He didn't even bother to look Garland in the eyes, and all the while kept his focus on Jade. "She has nothing to do with this!" And then it hit him, a smirk filing over his lips as he tilted his chin against his chest – his eyelashes fluttering. "Or is it that you're so unsure of your inutile beyblade skills that you need to use _her_ as bait? Hoping that I'll give up the match in exchange for her well-being." 

Jade shook her head, praying that he would stop. Surely he could see the chagrin that was building up in Garland's eyes, the fury that was taking over his body inch by inch. He was basically like a volcano, ready to explode...

"It's a pity isn't it." Brooklyn breathed, running one of his loose fingers down the crook of Jade's back. "You'd think he would learn that his mindless bantering only drives Garland into further insanity – for you see, he much prefers to use action instead of words." Leaning his head down upon the brim of Jade's shoulder he sighed, blinking a little in thought. "Now tell me my dear, what do you suppose will happen next hm?"

"Tala...he'll...he'll win." The words slipped over her lips, yet they held no emotion whatsoever. She knew what she was saying was nothing more than a mere fantasy, a figment of her imagination. As much as she hated to admit it, Tala had no chance of claiming this victory as his own. Jade could feel the thought scratching at her brain, the idea of the red-haired boy falling down in failure. And he would fall, not only from the loss of the battle, but from the loss of his soul. Garland wouldn't take things lightly, and it was all too obvious that he would destroy Tala with all the strength that he possessed. 

Brooklyn chuckled softly, "but that would mean Garland will lose. And I'm afraid that that is highly impossible, you know it, as does everybody else here...even your boy-toy over there." He added with a smile, brushing away the loose strands of hair – whispering subtly into the cavity of her ear.

Jade felt her heart clench, her crystal orbs meeting up with dark turquoise. Tala was in pain, she could see it clearly: his chest heaving in and out with a struggle, his lungs clutching at the oxygen. Even his eyelids seemed to put up an effort in order to remain open, while light droplets of blood fell every so often from his neck wound. Yet he ignored it, he tried desperately to push it all out of his mind, his fists clenching with determination. Jade knew that Tala wasn't worried about his own well being, he more or less wanted to make sure that nothing would happen to her. 

So the feelings were mutual then.

"Tala." Jade breathed, her limbs shaking slowly. 

"My silly, silly Russian boy." Garland mocked, allowing his voice to be heard within the crowds once again as he brushed a finger through his long silvery ponytail. "It pains my heart to see you in such a recessive state. When will you learn that _I_ am your superior?" 

"Fuck you." Tala growled, his red eyebrows narrowing with rage.

Garland's eyes suddenly grew dark, the corner of his lip twitching with distaste at his red-haired opponent. He was tired of playing this _'game'_ of wits with his prey, and he was all too ready to take him down. Rising up one of his hands he slowly brought two fingers together, a loud snap accompanying them. The subtle movement seemed to grab everybody's attention, their curiosity running wild with the intense match that was playing out before their eyes. In a matter of seconds, Garland's intriguing movements became clear, as his dark yellow blade unexpectedly came to life – shooting around the outer edge of the dish in one giant blur. 

"I must say, you do have a way of shooting off that mouth of yours." Garland snapped that toyful lilt no longer present upon his tongue. He was irritable now; his entire body language gave that away in an instance. "But I'm afraid I've grown tired of it and now I have the horrid task of taking your useless body out of this battle!"

Tala's limbs almost appeared as though they began shaking at Garland's words, almost as if they knew that the outcome of this match wouldn't be pretty. Yet the red head forced it to the back of his mind, trying his best to place full concentration upon the two blades that were clashing it out. He couldn't let Garland do this to him; he had to keep himself focused. He – Tala Ivanov – was supposed to be the most feared blader in this tournament, and yet he found himself fearing this silver-haired guy who stood so forcefully before him. And not only was his reputation on the line with this battle, but his life was too – the gash across his neck was a constant reminder of that. Clenching his fingers into tight fists he forced his turquoise eyes into focus, darkening slightly at the view of his scarred gray blade. The battle wouldn't end like this, he swore that his fight wasn't over.

"Wolborg!" 

Tala's voice shot through the air with high intensity, almost as though his body had been able to revive just by mentioning the sacred bit's name. But it was all hidden behind a mask, a mask that Tala had put on since the beginning of this match – hoping to conceal the fear and pain that he really held inside. He nearly summoned half his strength to call out to his wolf bit beast, his lungs clutching inside the cavity of his chest. 

Yet Wolborg broke free from its circular sanction nonetheless, an eerie howl releasing itself from its pointed muzzle. Though Jade concluded that something wasn't right, this wasn't the way that the wolf was supposed to sound. She knew this. She could remember the white creature all too well during her battle with Tala, and this wasn't the Wolborg that had defeated her blade in a matter of minutes. It was obvious that Tala had taken the same notice, blinking furiously at his once strong bit beast. The ice wolf breathed heavily, its chest pumping in and out with a struggle – practically mimicking the exact moves that Tala portrayed. They were both wounded identically, the exact same slit running along the front of Wolborg's chest – staining its once gorgeous white coat. 

A low chuckle reverberated through the back of Garland's throat; blue eyes dancing with amusement at the weaklings that stood before him. "So, this is the famous ice wolf is it?" He spoke up slowly, stroking a finger against his chin with thought. "And here I thought I'd have a force to reckon with, not some mangy little pup." 

Tala could only remain silent, having no words forming upon his moistened lips. He no longer had anything to say...what could he say? He wouldn't give up this match without a final fight, ever! But for some reason that pride and power that he once held inside was gone, it left him in a vanish. Drawing in a heavy breath Tala ran a hand along his neck wound, noting that it was still bleeding quite heavily as the liquid seeped over his fingers. How long could Wolborg fight with a wound like this? Or more importantly...how long could he last?

"Please...make him stop." Jade whispered, finding herself beginning to choke on the tears that refused to stay hidden no more. She couldn't take her eyes off of the red head before her and all she wanted to do now was hold him, to give him her strength so he wouldn't have to suffer anymore. 

"Shhh, don't weep over such a trivial thing." Brooklyn cooed, brushing his cheek soothingly against Jade's. "You know, pretty girls really shouldn't cry...smile for me?"

Jade pushed the subtle voice aside, squirming slightly in his muscular arms as she flicked her eyes onto Wolborg. He was growing weaker with every second that ticked by, droplets of saliva dripping from his foaming mouth while he whimpered in pain. Yet Wolborg kept his golden eye focused on its one and only master, prepared to go through with whatever course of action he was ordered to take. He would fight alongside Tala to the death, Jade could see this.

"Say farewell my Russian boy." Garland declared, a spark shooting through his dark blue eyes as he raised a hand out before him. "This is the last time you'll feel anything." With a quick flick of the wrist his yellow blade redirected itself, driving into the dark gray blade with intense force.

Tala felt the hit in an instant, his yell echoing over the crowds as he lashed a hand up onto his left shoulder – while his body collapsed onto knees. He was shaking uncontrollably now, his bright turquoise eyes widening in horror as his left sleeve fluttered to the ground. Numbness was now filtering up his arm; the circular cut that ran perfectly around his biceps shedding blood over his pale flesh. It didn't stop there however, and Garland continued his ruthless strikes – though nothing strong enough to take the gray blade out of battle yet. He wanted to toy with the red head, to make him feel his loss hit by hit. And he was succeeding... 

Tala looked like he was in the middle of world war 3, his body covered in more blood than clothing. Yet he wasn't surrendering, and even though he was on his last ounce of strength, he still ordered Wolborg to keep up with the attack. Garland rolled his eyes, what was the Russian trying to do? Surely he didn't believe in the _noble_ shit. Shrugging a shoulder he decided that he didn't care, for all in all...the red head would lose. 

"Apollo!" Garland snapped, eyes narrowing onto the yellow blade that suddenly appeared to grow tense at its master's sharp tone. It spun steadily in one spot, the top of the bit glinting with anticipation of victory. "No more playing...exterminate him."

It was the only word that the bit beast needed to hear, its spin growing faster as wind suddenly began taking over the entire stadium – sending people into a cowered state. Apollo had emerged, it was apparent, yet nobody could see his full form – only a pair of gleaming red eyes that looked hungry for death.

Shielding his own eyes from the flying debris Tala could only detect the sharp squeal from his injured companion, before the taste of blood began taking over his taste buds. Parting his lips he dropped his head forward, causing the red liquid to ooze overtop of his bottom lip and splash onto the gray concrete. His head pounded as he roamed his eyes over his tattered body – images of red filling up his mind. He was dead...no, this feeling inside of him was worse than death. He was scared. Tala was absolutely terrified; his lungs beating against his chest as it forced him to extinguish the blood from within the cavity of his mouth. 

"Ja..." Tala froze, not even able to speak the only word that he seemed to know. Tilting his head lightly to the side he felt his body grow heavier to the ground – almost as if gravity had suddenly become stronger. He could still see her though, and that's all that mattered at the moment. He could see the tears streaking furiously over Jade's once pale cheeks tinting them a subtle pink instead. And he could still see the strong grasp that the orange-haired BEGA member held on her, refusing to let her leave. If Tala had any more strength he would've made his way towards the weeping girl, but there was nothing left inside of him. He was numb, and it felt like his very soul had been ripped out of his body. Struggling to reach a hand out towards her Tala finally gave in, allowing the idea of sleep to finally take over. His body collapsed in seconds, head slamming against the concrete while his once bright turquoise eyes grew blank; before heavy lids sealed them from the world.

It was all Jade could do to not wither down onto all fours, Brooklyn's hold finally releasing her. He no longer needed to keep the girl restrained. The match was over, and the Russian red head was no longer a nuisance to BEGA. The reaction around the stadium was that of dead silence, nobody daring to speak up – all voices choked. Tyson had disappeared from the seat in which he had occupied a few minutes ago and was now leaping over seats in an attempt to make it down to the platform. The match had ended so quickly, and his whole mind seemed to blank at the outcome. He was determined to stop Garland and destroy the ruthless silver-haired warrior in a beybattle for what he had just done, yet noticed that he had disappeared shortly after his final attack – closely followed by Brooklyn. Tyson narrowed his brows at this, pausing in one of the aisles. He swore that he would meet up with the BEGA member again...

Ozuma bestowed the same reaction as Tyson, thought his reaction was more directed towards Jade, whom he noticed was now crawling with much of a struggle towards the fallen red-haired guy. His heart dropped slightly with the look of his teammate, while he too made his way down – Dunga proving to be a great help as he shoved mindless, gawking teenagers aside.

"Damn BEGA!" Ozuma growled, leaping over a final bar before pausing just short of the two red heads. 

Tala looked like he had been through Hell and back, and it was hard to tell if his heart was even functioning anymore. Jade was curled up next to him, holding his head lightly against her body as she cradled him gently – like a mother would a child. There was no peace upon his face, and he had had no comfort when he fell – nobody to hold him when he needed it most. Jade's tears fell repeatedly against Tala's battered face, hating the world for what it had done. Stroking her thumb against his bruised cheek she tried to wipe away the blood that seemed to be at home upon his face – growing frustrated at herself when it only made things worse.

"Stop." Jade cried, dropping her head down as her forehead leaned against Tala's. "Please stop bleeding." She muttered her voice barely noticeable over the large commotion that suddenly erupted inside the stadium. 

The first dumbstruck reaction had now passed, and it seemed that people were now in a state of slight panic. Tyson had finally forced his way through the massive crowds and was now standing next to Ozuma – neither of them knowing what exactly they could say to the devastated girl. Not that it mattered, they had a feeling Jade was in no mood to be comforted, and she clung to Tala's body like he was the last thread of hope in her life.

Jade swore that she wouldn't let him go. She needed to hold him, to feel his dying warmth against her own body. Feeling a hand grasp onto her shoulder she flicked sharp crystal eyes up, noticing a pair of white-clad men through her tears. She knew who they were; the band wrapped around their shoulder gave it away; portraying a bright Red Cross. Jade shook her head slowly, knowing that the paramedics wanted her to move away from Tala's limp body. She refused. She was sick of people tearing them apart, and all she wanted was to be left alone.

"Please Miss, you have to let us take him." One of them spoke, his deep voice penetrating through Jade's body – causing her to clench her teeth in response. "If we don't get him to the hospital...he may not have a chance..." 

"Jadie..." Tyson began, placing a hand lightly on her back. "Jade, you have to let Tala go." He urged, feeling his own eyes beginning to water as Jade shook her head roughly. He knew exactly what she was going through. The same thing happened back at the World Tournament when Bryan practically destroyed Rei in their battle. He thought he had lost his dark-haired friend too. "Come on Jade, everything will be alright."

Jade felt her limbs shake yet still kept a strong hold on Tala. It was a comfort to hear Tyson's voice – she had to admit. Though she couldn't let go, why didn't anybody understand that? 

"His condition is getting worse."

Ozuma nodded, turning his gaze from the medic to Jade – a stern look suddenly cascading through his eyes. Without any further thinking he motioned towards Dunga who wrapped his arms around the small girls waist. It didn't take him long to pry Jade away from the injured guy as the medics immediately began strapping him to the stretcher.

"No...stop it!" Jade yelled, struggling furiously within her larger teammates arms while tears flowed across her cheeks. "Please don't take him...I-I..." Her voice cut off, her head shaking lightly from side to side. Why were her own friends doing this to her?

"Snap out of it Jade, he's not leaving you...not yet." Ozuma declared, allowing Jade to fall into his arms with the release of Dunga's hold. Her face immediately buried into his shoulder, finally deciding that struggling against them was a futile act.

His emerald eyes darkened as Tala's body disappeared from the stadium. He had to admit, he wasn't a big fan of Tala – or any of the Demolition Boy's for that matter. They had a different purpose for beyblading, and he wasn't sure that he liked it. Yet he couldn't ignore the way that his new female teammate felt towards him and that was what made all the difference. As much as he may not have shown it, Ozuma really did care about the members of the Saint Shields, and he took it upon himself to protect them no matter what. Yet he couldn't protect Jade from this, nor could he give her any sense of comfort – mostly because he didn't know how. He hadn't the slightest idea of what she was feeling, and all he could do was allow a shoulder to cry on.

"Just wait till I get my hands on that Garland, I'll wring his puny little neck!" Dunga growled, snatching his red bandanna from out of his dirty blond hair as he squeezed it tightly in his large hands.

"Dunga." Ozuma warned, ceasing the older boy's speaking for the time being. "Now is not the time to think about revenge." Resting a hand on Jade's mid-back he brought his attention onto Tyson – who appeared to be searching the large stadium. Apparently the cap-clad boy had the same idea as Dunga, both of them looking entirely infuriated. 

"If we can't retaliate against BEGA, then what can we do?" Dunga questioned, careful with his voice so that he didn't sound too forceful towards his team leader. 

Ozuma sent him a dry look, before motioning his emerald eyes down onto Jade. "I think the answer to that is obvious. We're going to the hospital." He could feel the red-haired girl stir slightly in his arms, an indication that all she wanted was to see the Demolition Boy again.

Tyson nodded, "I'm in. There's no way I'm going back to my room after this." He stated, cascading his arms across his chest. He was no great friend of Tala's, but he was a good friend of Jade...and he was willing to do anything to cheer up the red head.

__

Why do you weep?

What are these tears upon your face?

Soon you will see

All of your fears will pass away

Tyson stretched his arms wildly above his head; a yawn slipping past his lips as he ran clenched fists against his eyes. Glancing at the small glowing clock he noted that it was now ten in the evening, and the room had suddenly been transformed into shadows. He could hardly believe that he had already been here for nine hours, though didn't regret it at all. Pulling off his cherry red jacket, Tyson lightly cascaded it over Jade's limp body – careful so that he didn't wake her up. Her body was curled up into one of the plush pink chairs, a few pieces of auburn hair matted against her face from the amount of tears that her eyes continued to shed.

"I'll be back Jade." Tyson whispered, nodding his head for effect before pushing his way out of the small room – deciding that he needed to grab a snack before he drifted off to dreamland too.

The light clicking of the door caused Jade's eyes to slowly flutter open, her crystal blue orbs scanning around the now empty room. They were alone now, just the two of them. Forcing her body onto two feet she hung Tyson's coat over her bare shoulders, thankful for the warmth that it gave her. Pausing just short of the single-sized bed she felt the tears beginning to form again, rising a hand up as she placed it gently upon Tala's. The guy didn't even stir with her touch, and Jade concluded that he probably didn't even feel her presence. She couldn't help but wonder what the red-haired guy was thinking, if he was even thinking anything. Apparently he had fallen into a coma after his fall, which meant that he had no acknowledgement of the world around him. 

"Tala..." Jade muttered, reaching a hand to his forehead as she stroked away the two prominent bangs upon his face. He didn't even look human anymore, and his face reminded her of some undead mummy. Bandages were wrapped tightly over Tala's forehead, and the entire left side of his face was concealed from her tear-stricken eyes. Yet what worried Jade the most was the air tube that was strapped overtop of his mouth, an indication that the Russian blader couldn't even breath without a machine. 

"I'm sorry." 

Collapsing her head onto the side of the thinly cushioned bed she brought the flat of his hand to her lips – kissing it softly. She didn't know why, but inwardly she found that she was partially blaming herself for his condition. She was the one who latched onto his thrashed body back at the stadium, the one who had delayed the paramedics from fixing him up. Perhaps if she hadn't been so stubborn, Tala's state of being wouldn't be so bad. How would she ever forgive herself if she increased the red head's chance of death?

Listening to the sound of the rhythmic heart machine Jade felt her head bury into the white covers – hands snapping over her ears, not being able to stand it anymore. The fact that she was hearing the very life of the guy ticking away drove her into near insanity. Why was this happening? 

Was it some sort of revenge that the world lashed out against them? Jade couldn't understand it, why was it that things always seemed to go downhill whenever she was involved? She was bad luck that's why. It had to be. This wasn't the first time that somebody had left her life, and her mother had vanished when she was only a small girl – something that was entirely her fault. Sure, it sounded absolutely absurd, but Jade found it to be the truth. To some degree or another that is. She could still remember that night so clearly, the memories alive within the back of her head. Jade could easily recall that she never once told her mother that she loved her, and by the time she mustered enough courage...the older lady had disappeared. It was almost like dejavu with Tala, and Jade's heart pounded with terror at the idea of relieving a moment in her childhood.

Jade cursed inwardly at this, hating herself for not being able to express the true emotions that she felt. It had always been like this. It's not that she didn't want to show how she really felt, it was just that...she couldn't...

The sound of creaking slowly brought Jade's attention back to the reality at hand – tear stricken crystal eyes dashing up. Her fingers were quivering now as she wringed them tightly around Tala's, assuming that it was the doctor or nurse coming in to remove the red-haired girl. Jade couldn't give a damn whether or not visiting hours were ending, she wouldn't leave this hospital room – never. There was no ifs, ands, or buts about the situation. Tala had been alone when he collapsed, but he would not be alone as his body struggled to gain back life. She would be with him. 

The tiniest hint of a grin twitched at the corner of Jade's lips, noticing that the new emerges were not those of hospital personnel. It was a sigh of relief to Jade, more so than anything else, and she felt her insides calming. Moving hazy crystal eyes over the three newcomers she motioned them in with her head – indicating that their presence was welcome. After all, she didn't want to push away her friends, even if being alone with Tala was the deepest desire that she held inside. 

"Jade..." One of them muttered, running a hand nervously through a series of pink locks. Her outward expression indicated that she was at a lose of words, her throat running parch. The blue and brunette haired girls that stood close at hand looked to bestow the same emotions, inwardly struggling for something worthwhile to say to the devastated red head. 

"It's ok." Jade breathed, forcing a light smile onto her face. "I'm glad you guys are here." She meant this, every last word of it. Mariah Wong, Hilary Terada, and Mariam Therios were the best female friends that Jade had ever met. They were held on a special level, and they always seemed to be there when Jade needed them the most – no matter what the situation. 

The three girls took heed to Jade's words, moving slowly into the room as their eyes darted fervently around – almost as if they were treading into some dangerous territory. 

"We heard you were still over here. Refused to abide by the hospital rules of visiting hours I see." Hilary spoke up, her tone much softer than that in which she normally used – or so Jade concluded. The brunette haired girl seemed to be in a wreck herself, her usual bright almond eyes showing signs of dullness. Taking a cautious seat on the end of the hospital bed she found herself shaking a little, the brutalized form of Tala staring up at her behind bandages. So Tyson was right in his explanation of the whole situation, Tala really was in a state of death.

The other two girls joined up near the bedside as well. Mariam pulled up an empty seat next to Jade, while Mariah took to kneeling upon the cold concrete floor – not particularly caring about the shivers that it caused to shoot up her spine.

Laying her arms across the red-haired girl's legs, Mariah rested her head on her lap – glossy golden eyes flickering up onto her friend. "Jade...talk to us...please...w-we want to help you. We're your friends." 

Jade nodded, "I know that Ria...I know." Her voice broke off for a moment, her eyes straying onto the one individual whom she wished she had the ability to talk with at this very moment. But he couldn't talk...not now, possibly not ever again. 

The mere thought of never being able to hear the red-haired male's voice again brought a sudden rush of emotion to Jade's face – her eyebrows drooping while the corner of her eyes struggled to hold in the tears. Parting her lips in an attempt to speak she found this to be a failed attempt, no words would come to her mouth.

Mariam sighed, running a hand soothingly over the girl's shoulder. This whole scenario was just too awkward for her. She never had to deal with issues like this back in her home village, and never before had her teammates gone through something so horrific that it would bring their entire soul into darkness. 

Apparently it was true though. When a person cares so deeply for another, their lives are connected in a deeper sense – a sense in which nobody else could imagine. Mariam had never felt such a close bond with any male before, this having to probably do with the fact that the 3 males on her team drove her away from any liking towards a guy. However, she concluded that this wasn't the case with Jade. She hadn't known the red-haired girl for all that long – seeing as she was a more recent recruit to the Saint Shields – but the look in Jade's eyes told her everything. 

"It's ok, don't force yourself." Hilary whispered, swallowing the lump that began to take form in her throat as Jade gave a thankful nod. She concluded that it was probably best if Jade didn't explain things anyway, for she assumed it would only bring the red-haired girl into a series of waterworks – something which her eyes had already had enough of. They were raw looking, covered by a ring of red coloring, and she looked like she hadn't had a good night's rest in months. 

Hilary's stomach dropped at the sight of this, and by the looks on Mariam and Mariah's faces – they were feeling the exact same way. None of them had ever seen Jade in such a low state, and it brought about an intense worry inside. They always recalled the red head to be the most calm and collected one out of the bunch, not to mention that she normally held the warm smile on her face – the one that gave a person the sense that everything would be alright. It was gone now, it had vanished. As they had all expected but they had still hoped that there would've been some signs of faith inside Jade's eyes...

"You're not going to leave, are you?" Mariah questioned, though knew the answer before it was even said. She knew what this feeling was like, for she herself had gone through it once before...back with Rei in the world tournament. And she couldn't help but pick out the irony of it all. The fact that the Demolition Boys had done anything in their power to pull off a victory – whether destroying a person or not – and now one of their own was struggling for life in a hospital bed. 

Jade shook her head slowly, forcing herself to speak something...anything. "I-I can't. I promised. I told him...I won't leave, I'll never leave."

Mariam sighed, not particularly liking the answer in which they received. True, she was thankful that Jade was at least making the effort to talk to them instead of throwing a cold shoulder but things weren't going as planned. If anything, the three of them were supposed to try and remove the girl from the room. Not that they wanted to separate her from Tala, they just needed Jade to get fresh air and sleep – above all else. Jade was a major wreck, something that not only affected herself, but everybody else as well. Ozuma – so Mariam had recalled – was in a shielded mode when he had returned back to the hotel. He had gone off in a silent seethe, and ended up snapping at Josef who dared to try and figure out the reasons for his captain's attitude change. She also noted that Dunga had caused a disturbance as well, doing his best at smashing a series of lamps in his frustration. Though this was a regular habit by the brute boy.

Hilary and Mariah had also taken notice to similar reactions bestowed by their teammates as Mariam had. News of the battle between Garland and Tala didn't take too long to spread, and most people knew about it in a matter of an hour or so. It brought a sense of fear to many bladers, fear of what may happen to them if they faced BEGA themselves. And then to others – such as Tyson and Ozuma – it brought about a sense of loathing, wanting more than anything to destroy them. 

"Have you eaten anything?" Mariam spoke up, her voice holding signs of demand. She didn't want to be forceful but something inside her said that Jade wouldn't do anything if she weren't. And it appeared to be true as the red head shook her head from side to side. A subtle growl reverberated in the back of Mariam's throat at this, emerald eyes narrowing as she searched the other two girls for help.

"Jade, you have to eat. Sitting around here...doing nothing, its not healthy, you know it isn't." Mariah convinced, a single tear streaking down her pale cheek. "You can come back, we promise just...please..." Her voice seemed to drown out near the end. Mariah knew that her friend wasn't processing any of this, their purpose here was turning out to be futile.

It was like a wall was separating the three of them from her, blocking them from getting too close. Jade hardly even brought her crystal eyes onto them and if they didn't know any better, she was completely ignoring them. Not that she wanted to, it was just that she couldn't help it. Taking her eyes off of Tala meant that she may miss a stir or signs that he was acknowledging the world around him, and she couldn't afford to have that happen without her knowing about it. That was why she couldn't let them convince her to go grab a bite to eat, she needed to stay here.

"Don't make me leave. Please, if you're my true friends...just let me stay here." Jade whispered, moving quivering eyes from Hilary, to Mariah and finally to Mariam. "I appreciate the concern, I really do...but I don't want your pity, that's not why I'm doing this."

"We didn't..."

"You didn't see..." Jade continued, interrupting Hilary before the brunette could finish. "You didn't see that look in his eyes, the look of emptiness, the look of...fear." Squeezing Tala's hand she fluttered her eyelids closed. "And nobody did anything...I-I couldn't comfort him."

Hilary's eyebrows furrowed at this, her almond eyes streaking with confusion. "You can't blame yourself Jade, it was a match. No matter what happened, all people could do was watch it." She hated saying it, but it was the truth. She had learned that after all the matches that she had watched over the years, all the matches that the Bladebreakers participated in. It wasn't fair, Hilary knew this...but it was obvious that beyblade battles had been left to resolve the fight on their own. If not, then Garland and the rest of BEGA would've been disqualified from the tournament, which they all knew wasn't the case. If anything it merely sent the team into a higher rank, practically rewarding them for what had been done to Tala.

"He won't get away with it though." Mariam added in, anger evident upon her face. "Not all of us bladers are just going to stand around and do nothing. You know as well as I do that Ozuma would never let something like this blow aside, nor would Tyson...we all have far more honor than that."

Mariah nodded, "BEGA won't win Jade, they won't have the honor of feeling ultimate victory." 

"I don't care." Jade declared, the words passing over her lips slowly. "I don't care who wins anymore, this whole tournament is dead to me now...it's over. They've basically already won. Look at him...he's dying..."

"Don't say that!" Mariam suddenly snapped, skidding her chair back as she rose abruptly to her feet. "You can't think this way Jade! Since when were you the pessimistic person, I thought you had better faith then this. You're speaking foolish...snap back to reality!"

"This is reality!"

Mariam froze, her mind running blank. Did Jade just yell at her?

The red-haired girl had irritation written across her entire body, eyebrows furrowed while her limbs tensed up in anger. It stunned the three of them beyond explanation, apparently their connection with the girl was over. It was almost as if their friendship had suddenly vanished into thin air. 

"Then I guess...I'll leave you to your reality." Mariam muttered, her two royal blue bangs sweeping over her face – shadowing out her eyes. "Looks like friendship isn't such a strong bond after all."

Jade's heart skipped a beat at the sound of Mariam's degraded voice, noticing the girl slip away from the corner of her eye. What was she doing? Why was she taking this out on her friends, why was she sending them away? All they wanted to do was help her out, to comfort her, and she lashed out at them like they were nothing more than a pile of worthless dirt. What kind of friend did that make her then? 

"Mariam!" Hilary frowned; rising to her feet as the blue-haired girl merely brushed by her – not even showing signs of hesitation. Sighing to herself she shook her head, convincing herself to follow after the Saint Shield girl. She didn't want arguments between the four of them. "Jade I, well...I'll see you later."

With that said the brunette disappeared as well, throwing the room into an awkward silence. Jade noted that Mariah was still around, seeing as she could still feel the girls chin residing upon her lap. Yet the pink-haired girl said nothing, and Jade concluded that she would probably leave too. Then she would be alone again, alone with Tala. That was what she wanted after all, she just wanted to be alone.

That's what her mind screamed, and yet she felt her heart stating otherwise. Deep down Jade really did want her friends here with her but it was too late to say that now. Two of them had already departed ways and she couldn't blame them, she wouldn't want to be around herself either. God, why was this happening to her?

"Everything is falling apart Ria, I don't know what to do." She couldn't help it anymore, her eyes finally allowing the tears to fall down her face once again. First she lost Tala, now she lost Mariam and Hilary...who would she lose next?

Mariah found nothing appropriate to say, instead deciding upon a hug. Rising herself higher on her knees she wrapped both arms around Jade's hunched back, pulling her tightly into a close embrace. Perhaps it was a good decision on her behalf, seeing as words only did a job of causing confrontations. 

Rubbing a hand soothingly across Jade's back Mariah sighed heavily, her mind continually striving to figure everything out. There was still one thing that Mariah couldn't understand; why on earth Jade was acting this way over Tala? Sure, she too felt pity for the Demolition Boy, it was natural. Nobody deserved to be treated in such a way. Yet the way Jade was acting was far deeper, hell, the girl wouldn't even leave his side! But why did the red-haired girl act as though the two of them had been so close? Mariah could never recall the two teens ever having any deep conversations or even meeting one on one. And what did Jade see in the arrogant Demolition Boy anyway?

It was all a big confusion, and Mariah knew that the only person who could answer these questions was the weeping girl in her arms. And the chances of Jade explaining what went on between herself and Tala, was basically slim to none. And she wouldn't force any explanation, even if curiosity began to get the better of her. She had no right to. It was Jade's decision of whether or not she wished to discuss things just as long as she knew...that her friends were here for her if she needed to talk.

Straying golden eyes onto the bed a weak sigh passed over her lips, taking notice to the intertwined fingers between the two teens. She didn't know why but it gave her an almost eerie feeling in the pit of her stomach – something in which she couldn't thoroughly explain. Anybody could see that those hands would never part...

"Jade..." Mariah breathed, swallowing hard. The girl in her arms merely gave a light _'hm'_ in acknowledgement as she took to pushing their embraced bodies apart. "Can you promise me something? Promise me that you'll at least try to get some sleep, even if it is in this chair?"

Jade gave a light smile, nodding her head slowly – moistened strands of auburn hair fluttering over her eyes. Now that was a promise that she could handle, if even if she already knew that she may not be able to keep it. Sleeping wasn't as easy as it sounded, not for her...not anymore.

"I should get back to my team." Mariah continued, sweeping a finger across Jade's reddened cheek. "They'll all want to know how you're doing, especially Rei. He'll come visit...at the right time." Rising onto both feet she looked surprisingly shocked as Jade wrapped her free hand around her wrist.

"Thank you Ria." Jade whispered, squeezing her hold lightly in affection. "And tell..." It was apparent her words choked, a few glossy tears resting upon her cheekbone. "Tell Mariam I'm s-sorry, and Hilary..."

"It's ok." Mariah cooed, nodding solemnly. "They'll understand, just rest now." 

Jade took a heavy breath, watching as her final friend made her presence scarce. So this was it then, she was alone once again. She began to wonder if Tyson would be coming back at all tonight, she hoped not. She didn't want anybody else to have to go through this – to have to sit up all night in order to comfort her. It wasn't necessary. Rolling her shoulders back she finally allowed her body to sink back into the plush chair – limbs settling in to the soft comfort. Perhaps Mariah was right; perhaps she did need sleep, even if it was just a little bit. But then, what about him? What if Tala were to peer open his lazy eyes while she was off in dreamland? 

"I can't...do it..." Jade cried, shaking her head in defeat as she dropped it against the bed. "Why won't you wake up...Tala...I...wake up." Feeling her body quiver she brushed her lips against his cold flesh yet again, a light hope that they would stroke her failing in an instant. It wasn't going to happen, no matter how optimistic she tried to be no matter how much faith she put into God. Tala would leave her, she could sense it, she knew this. Nobody else could understand, nobody else could feel the presence of death within the room – just her. It loomed around them, toying with the strings of life – like a puppet master with its puppet. 

It was odd how a person understood these things...

Stifling back an emerging set of tears she began to raise her head back up. Perhaps she was just being childish now, hovering over Tala's limp body as if believing that he would eventually embrace her. If she could sense that fate wasn't headed that way, then why did she still sit here like some lost puppy dog? 

The answer was there, she knew it was, it was just a matter of finding it. Finding it within the bright turquoise eyes that used to gaze at her from afar. 

Eyes...

Jade felt her body freeze, her lips parting in attempt to speak something – yet found no words coming. Now she was hallucinating? Hadn't she gone through enough for one day, did the world have to punish her more by teasing her mind with illusions? Blinking a few times slowly all time seemed to stand still, the world around them freezing, not daring to move for fear of disturbing the two teenagers.

"Tala?"

A hazy eye flickered in her direction, all signs of emotion hidden behind the cloudy iris. Nothing else moved, not even a stir beneath the blankets, yet this was all Jade needed...it wasn't an illusion. Bringing her free hand up she sweeped aside a long red bang, caressing his forehead with her trembling thumb. He looked lost, his visible eyebrow furrowing while the sound of breathing suddenly grew louder.

"Just, don't struggle...don't struggle." Jade murmured, trying her best to calm the seemingly frantic guy before her. Terror was streaked across his face – the same terror that had been given off just mere minutes before his downfall. She could understand his fear though; watching as he struggled to draw air from the long tubing succumbed to his pale face. What would it be like to draw breath with the help of a machine? The idea that this may be your last breath flooding into your mind. 

Jade felt the blood rush furiously through her veins, a feeling of light-headedness taking over. This was what she had hoped for, for Tala to wake up, for her to comfort him in his distress. Yet what was she doing? She was panicking. 

"What do I do?" Salty water flooded down her cheeks as her crystal eyes rolled violently around, searching for an answer. How was she supposed to deal with this? How was she supposed to comfort him when she didn't even know what he needed? All she could see was an eye, a horror-stricken eye that looked at her as if she was nothing more than a stranger. "Tala...don't struggle, just breathe...don't..." Words ceased after that moment, her throat running parch. Talking to the red-haired male was futile, nothing would calm him down and nothing should. Being strapped down in a hospital bed, not being able to see out of one eye...

These very same thoughts were processing through Tala's own mind at that moment, trying desperately to figure out this situation that he had suddenly been thrust into. Where was he anyway? And what exactly had happened? Those were the first questions that flooded his thoughts, yet he too received no soothing answers for them. He was in pain, and everything was blurry...everything except her. Pausing his racing heart for a moment Tala fluttered his single eye, trying his best to survey the only other living being that sat next to him. She was weeping; he could see that as clear as day itself. Allowing his lungs to take in air, as they needed, he found himself settling with normal breaths again – trying to stay relaxed. He found that he wasn't in as much pain when he didn't struggle. 

Closing his eyelid Tala felt sleep coming back on, the strength to keep conscious being too much for his weakened body. But then what about the girl...

With much effort Tala barely slitted his eye back open. He knew her: the red hair, the soft pale skin, the crystal eyes... Yet there was no name upon his lips. Not that he could speak it even if there was, silence was his only option. Though name or no name, apparently they had made a connection at one point in their lives, if she continued to sit by his side. He could feel his fingers being squeezed within her own, sending awkward warmth through his skin. Tala blinked, why was he feeling like this? He did know the answer to it, for he had answered this question before...right before he...Jade...

Turning his head a few decibels to the side Tala re-focused his attention upon her, things suddenly becoming far clearer. He remembered a beybattle, against BEGA, against that...and he remembered her, Jade, how she called for him, struggled against... 

Swallowing he inwardly sighed, thinking was too hard and putting all the pieces together hurt too much to want to continue. And it wasn't important anymore; he could recall the red-haired girl from the depths of his memory and for some strange reason that was all he cared about at that moment. 

He needed nothing else, nothing except to feel her body against his.

That was his desire – a desire that had been plaguing his life for sometime. Struggling to move an arm Tala felt his limbs tingle, the effort presenting him with far too much pain. Moving it seemed, wasn't an option for him. He had no more options; nothing left except to lay motionless upon this bed...

Jade could feel the light flinch of Tala's cold fingers beneath her own, causing a twinge to play at the corner of her lips. Yet she didn't want to smile, she wanted to frown; her eyes itching with the welled up tears. He was trying so hard to move, to touch, to do anything but lie there like a limp, lifeless body. But he couldn't. Sniffling a little Jade carefully brought up Tala's weakened arm, folding out his fingers before placing her lips softly upon the tip of each one – while caressing his palm with her own thumbs. He could still sense feeling upon his flesh, this she concluded as she watched tiny goosebumps shivering up his arm. Sighing deeply Jade nodded her head down, releasing Tala's hand as quickly as she had picked it up before sharply rising to her feet.

It was becoming too much for her, the reality of it all. She wanted to tell him everything, to admit what her true feelings were towards him. Yet every time she released her lips to speak her throat would run dry, and the words would dissipate. Besides, she hardly believed that Tala would want to hear her go all gushy in a time like this, especially when he could barely remain conscious to begin with. 

"I...I have something for you." Jade murmured, scanning crystal eyes over Tala's confused face. His dark sapphire eye remained fixated upon her however – never faltering. Reaching a shaky hand down, she disappeared her fingers into the small brown belt pouch strapped around her left thigh. Withdrawing them back out in a fist shortly after she cupped Tala's hand, before placing a small token gently within his palm. "They didn't take him from you a-and I thought I would return him. He...he was worried about you, I could see it in his eyes...right before you...you fell..."

Jade's words were cut off, strands of red hair cascading over her eyes. Tala didn't even bother to try and raise himself to glance at the object within his hand, for he already knew what it was. He could tell from the small circular shape that it was imprinting in his skin, along with the small juts on two of the sides. So, they hadn't destroyed him after all, Wolborg. The ice wolf was still alive, still ready to carry on with his path of victory. Tala sighed. It was too bad that he didn't have that same ambition...the two of them had made a good team...

Sucking in a giant breath of air he cringed, his fingers forcing themselves to wrap around Jade's dangling hand as he shifted his arm upward along the bed – fingers cascading across the soft sheets before he paused Jade's hand upon his heaving chest. The faint light that flickered through her crystal eyes was evident, and if he could've, Tala knew that his lips would've twitched up into a smirk at that moment. He had won the girl that was obvious. Though _how _he did it, well, that was still a mystery, even to him. All he knew was that their feelings for each other was similar, if not identical.

Using weak signs of force Tala tugged briefly on Jade's hand, causing the red-haired girl to lock eyes with him. She looked ultimately confused though didn't seem to hesitate as she carefully crawled her way onto the narrow bed – careful with her legs so that she didn't harm his bruised body in any way. Wrinkles of pain began to take form upon his forehead, feeling her head gently going flush against his chest. It hurt to breath even more now, and he knew that it wasn't just from the additional weight of Jade. His lungs felt like they were on fire, while his heart banged against his chest with an irritating force. Resting his free arm against the flat of Jade's back Tala could feel her body tremble lightly, as his fingers dug into her clothing. Having her near him; in this way, it sent his limbs into a calm state – his eye slowly beginning to conceal itself.

Everything grew silent at that moment, and not even the whirring of the machines disturbed the peace that was evident upon Jade's face. Smoothing her cheek against Tala's chest she drew him in all at once, keeping the flat of her hand against his right pectoral muscle. She kept a steady balance on the small edge of bed that her body was rested upon, not even bothering to survey the door in case somebody were to enter. For she knew that they wouldn't be disturbed, for once in her life she knew that nothing would break this moment. Fluttering her eyelids closed the tears no longer ceased to fall; in fact, her eyes were now completely dry. She could feel Tala beneath her, his heart beating slowly, the sound of life dying as it rang through her ear. And she could feel his breathing – intertwined with her own – their bodies moving in and out in a synchronized rhythmical pattern. And it seemed that she was no longer scared. Jade knew that in the back of her mind Tala couldn't stay like this forever with her but it didn't matter, as of now, there was no such thing as the future. There was only here, and now.

__

Don't say

We have come now to the end

White shores are calling

You and I will meet again

Listening to the seconds tick by on the mounted wall clock Jade relinquished a breath of air, burying her face as far into Tala as she possibly could – her hair brushing softly against his chin. He hadn't moved for awhile now, and not even his body touched her the way it had a few minutes ago. There was no pressure upon the clothing on her back, no fingers digging into her – clutching her and refusing to let go. The light thump that had echoed against her eardrum was now slowly ceasing, and she could feel Tala's chest sinking deeper and deeper into the cushioned bed. 

"Come back..." Jade whispered, running trembling fingers against his motionless chest. Yet Tala made no stir, no signs that he had acknowledged her shaky voice. Jade shook her head slowly, refusing to believe what was happening. This was not the end; it couldn't be...she hadn't had enough time with him...not enough...

Forcing back the urge to cry she denied herself the ability to move, and instead lay motionless upon the bed next to the red-haired guy. She wouldn't weep, not now. She had faith, yes, she had faith; and it wouldn't fail her...it wouldn't fail her the way it did last time. 

"Don't struggle, just...just breath." Jade nodded, feeling a quiver in Tala's standstill chest. Not bothering to survey crystal eyes over his face she stayed contently by his side, running her hand down his own side before interweaving their fingers for a final time. Placing her limbs into a relaxed state Jade finally allowed herself to drift off, everything around her turning into one giant blur. 

She would just hold him...for a little...just for a little longer.

__

And you'll be here in my arms

Just sleeping...


End file.
